Dear New Orleans, It’s been two years since I’ve been to visit you, and I want to go back so badly it hurts. I want to walk down Bourbon Street, step into a night club, and maybe eat some beignets. Oh, and definitely get some fried chicken because for some reason, it tastes like magic in your city. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras, spring break and COVID-19 have taken it’s toll on your city and it breaks my heart to pieces. Your city isn’t made for social distancing. It’s made for get togethers, jazz shows in small venues… and beignets. Let’s not
Author: Kristen Grace
Beauty junkie, food obsessed, and constant wanderer.
The Return of the Nail Fail
I had a brilliant idea. I was going to do nail art that wasn’t based on anything. I would just gather up a mess of nail polishes and paint whatever came to mind. Freeform design, colors, and the knowledge that you can’t screw up a picture that was never meant to be a picture. Except you can. When you combine strange shapes, polka dots, and a glitter nail tip you get… A Toxic Toadstool! Doesn’t it look stupidly unappetizing? This is far worse than I ever could’ve imagined! Or as someone else kindly pointed out… It sort of looks like
Five Favorite Things – March 2020 (Super Late Edition!)
Essential Workers – Anybody who is going out to fulfill much needed job roles during this time get ALL of my love. Doctors, nurses, custodians, childcare workers, grocery clerks, gas station attendants and everyone in-between, I love you. Toilet Paper – After enduring several weeks of wondering if toilet paper would be in stock when I needed it again, I have grown to appreciate this commodity much, much more. God bless the almighty TP. Baking Supplies – Having a stockpile of flour, sugar, baking soda and the like has been a gift for the fiancé and I, especially when it
Self Portrait #5: Quarantine and the Insidious Creep of Depression
When the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” mandate hit Washington, I was bummed. Not least of which was because that meant not being able to see the kiddos at my job. But there was a part of me that really believed I was *made* for quarantine. I’m a consummate introvert. People exhaust me. Working in my pajamas is something that appeals to me. Intersperse this with occasional episodes of I Love Lucy and Law and Order:SVU and you’ve got my personal version of paradise. It did start well enough. I’d read other’s quarantine experiences and their death spiral through the kitchen
First Responder Childcare and the Fight for Sanitization
I hope everyone reading this is finding themselves in good health. As part of my job duties as an educator, I have been called upon to provide childcare duties to the children of first responders–something that is most definitely needed at this time of crisis. It’s a job I was more than happy to do–until I arrived on site. We were promised a district nurse, who would screen all incoming adults and children for health issues before allowing them access to childcare. We were also promised stringent sanitization protocols that are, well, barely there. Our “nurse” is no nurse, but
Chouquettes (Sugar Puffs)
I think we all, at some point in the middle of being locked in at home, will run out of frozen dinner and start to actually cook. Or in my case, BAKE. I love to bake. The end result is most likely yummy and full of sugar, two elements that I love to have incorporated into my food. You can see why chouquettes sounded good. They’re sugar puffs. That must mean yummy. Sugar + yummy makes me happy. My chouquettes turned out… a little deflated. Let’s just say that they did NOT look like what I saw on Chocolate and
Fashion Cravings: Crazy Pig – Bone Hand Skull Ring
It’s been awhile since I wrote about my fashion cravings… But being quarantined has provided me FAR too much time to window shop. It’s taking everything in me not to buy all the clothes/shoes/makeup out there. I’d say, cut my internet before I clean out my bank account but I need it to work! Which is when I came across Crazy Pig–A silversmithing business if ever there was one. They’re known for their skull rings which are the epitome of rock and roll chic. Though I wish I were edgy enough to pull off the full blown cranium-on-ring, I’m not
March Is a Disaster.
Remember when everyone was complaining that January 2020 had 472 days in it? You know what’s even longer. March 2020. This month has been a wreck for me (and everyone). Yes, quarantine and fights over toilet paper have added to my stress. The reality is though, that March stunk from the get-go for me. Let me give you a list: A student accidentally slammed the back of their head into my face. I went home with a mild concussion and a desire to sleep forever. I didn’t. A week after that, a child bit me. Bit me hard enough to
Thrashers – A Food Stand in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
I’ve had a long time to think about Thrashers, and you know what? I still don’t get it. When we went to Rehoboth Beach, I did the typical thing that any tourist would do–Google must-eat things in area. Thrashers was the place apparently. It was touted as the “must-do” because if you didn’t, then you missed the point of going to the boardwalk. Okay, well then. Go to Thrashers. The only thing Thrashers served was French fries. Also, you had to salt them yourself. Oh, and you could douse them in vinegar if you so chose. Did you hear that?
Scent for You – Black Forest Bar Soap
While in Boston, I spotted a soap maker outside Faneuil Hall. Being the constant lover of soap, I stopped by and bought a few bars. I thought there name, “Scent for You” was cute and I figured the swirly designs on the bar would look posh in my shower. Aesthetics, people. They MATTER. Anywhooo…. The scent of this was “Black Forest” but I’ll be honest… My sense of smell kind of stinks. So either this wasn’t very scented or my sniffer conked out when I used this in the shower. Maybe the whole “Scent for You” moniker was just a